Center for Louisiana Studies Archival Catalog

Warren Storm:

-00:00 - Forming Lil Band of Gold - C.C. Adcock and Steve Riley talked Warren into joining a jam session
-02:20 - David Egan, Richard Comeau joining the jam
-03:20 - First Lil Band of Gold CD
-03:45 - List of gig locations;
-08:20 - Band members - Dave Ranson, David Greely, Kenny Bill Stinson;
-10:00 - Small talk
-12:00 - Talking about the song "I Don't Wanna Know;"
-12:30 - Discussing a recent concert;

Lazy Lester:

-Mid 1950s bands with John Jackson (guitar), Sonny Martin (piano and vocals), band name was Eddie Hudson and the Bossa Novas
-Lazy Lester utility man- 13 piece band with other band members were Charlie Adams, June Adams, Jack Charles King, Donald Bates.
-Gigs in high schools, bars, auditoriums
-White clubs loading in through back doors- staying on the band stand
-Johnny Allan
-studio musicians- Merton Thibodaux, Katie Webster, UJ Meaux, Carol Fran, Lionel Prevost, Warren Storm, Tal "Pop-P" Miller, Jockey Ettienne,
-Played Pink Corner Club (Hope and Harrop) and Blue Gardenia in Rayne with Guitar Gable.
-Band mates: Big John and Lazy Lester and the Rhythm Rockers
-eventually became the 13 Cases- could split into two bands and play high school dances while other group play "wine joints"
-John Jackson lost his eye in a bull dozer accident
-Baton Rouge to Rayne bus ride- met with Lightning Slim to record in Crowley
-Harmonica- recorded because he was hanging around the studio; Tuned Lightning Slim's guitar and recorded "Sugar Plum"
-Recording for Exello records; different records
-Big band
-Tours with Lonesome Sundown; Chicago, Cleveland, Rome, Georgia, Polka Dot Slim, Mr. Calhoun
-"Sunny Side of Love"
-tap dancing
-gigging with famous guys
-day jobs
-recording the blues
-blues records
-moving about
-book discrepancies
-touring Europe
-festivals

"Big" Al Carson:

-History of playing at the Funky Pirate- eight years
-Steve Yoakim Dog Packs Maison de Bourbon- Dixieland band
-Spike Jones revival theater run six weeks Masonic Temple Cultural Center
-Born New Orlean- Alton Carlton 10/2/1953
-Mom church singer in gospel choirs
-Played trumpet- one of first music students at William O Rodgers elementary school - early 1960s walk to Phyllis Wheatly- music teacher Guy Leer
-Tuba from Junior High to College at Xavier
-Walter Payton taught private lessons- bass lessons at Xavier
-musical education- Booker T Washington High School orchestra- tuba player got to play ahead with older orchestras
-playing in the street- Doc Paulin band
-Xavier University band
-Sunday gigs
-Snap Bean Band
-overseas festivals
-Walter Payton's show
-Magnolia and Camellia Brass Bands
-R&B and blues
-Europe; the internet
-New Orleans Heartbreakers
-new C. D.s

Interview with George Khoury - recatalog
Clarence "Jockey" Etienne:

Clarence:
-born 11/22/1935 in St. Martinville
-bugle player at school- parade
-rode horse with his dad- that is why his nickname is 'Jockey'
-Victor Jordan- first band late 1940s
-JD Miller "Laka lai, Lakai Lai"
-met Guitar Gabriel added drums
-Joe Simon after Guitar Gabriel late 1950s
-local agent Charles Carter
-played Leo's Rendezvous- New Iberia
-toured with Solomon Burke after "He'll Have to Go"
-Bobby Powell
-Rodney and the All-Stars
-in 1976 joined Fernest Arceneaux and the Thunders until July 1989
-Blues Unlimited label
-Shelton Skerrett recording Fernest
-JJ Callier in the studio
-Bobby Price and Gene Morris recordings
-Creole Zydeco Farmers
-European tours: Germany, Holland (Festival in Utrecht), Switzerland, France, Luxemburg, 1991, 1993, 1994
-tour in states: Dallas, St. Louis, Kansas City
-photos
-band mates
-new C.D.
-Jazz Fest
-Fernest
-Memphis

Lynn August:

-0:00 - background information- born in Lafayette
-1:00 - blind from birth- parents supportive of music
-2:00 - early musical experiences- Mom bought piano records: Johnny Ace, Ray Charles, Lloyd Price, Fats Domino
-2:30 - family entertainer- sang and played harmonica
-3:00 - practiced drums on washtub while other kids played guitar
-3:45 - Dad managed kid band- got first gig when drummer wasn't able: sang 1958 song Willie West: "Did you have fun?"
-7:00 - joining a band- Buckwheat on keys, piano accordion in early band- nickname given
-7:30 - gigs- Dad managed band, Wednesday night in New Iberia until people caught on- then Saturday nights: "Little August"
-9:30 - 1959 Lafayette Club- piano players every night Rolling Dice (3 nights) and Fats Junior (3 nights)
-11:00 - Esquerita (Eskew Reeder)- special Friday night guest- something from outer space- had played New Orleans- started playing with Esquerita- Abbeville first, then New Orleans
learned funk from New Orleans records
-13:45 - Jay Nelson- 1961 to 1963 needed a temporary drummer- three piece horn section- New Orleans R&B
-15:30 - state school for the blind in Baton Rouge- boarding school- certain age to play music- Henry Butler was his roommate- quit at 8 years old
-18:00 - learned braille 1975/1976, later learned to read/write braille music and composition
-20:00 - formed band with Buckwheat in Lafayette
-20:30 - Eskew Reeder told him to play piano- said he got Little Richard on piano; wanted to play with foot pedals- Dad traded painting job for organ
-22:30 - 1965 bought Hammond B3, later Wurlitzer electric piano
-23:00 - weekend gigs, band having a tough time- approached to play for $300 a week for four nights @ 17 years old
-25:00 - St. Martinsville- Beano's Club; week nights slower, but weekends packed at $2 a head
-27:30 - had new car and a live-in chauffer
-28:00 - four piece band- every other Saturday at Slim's Y-Ki Ki
-28:30 - band drama; car and trailer vandalized and broke up the band 1970- started with drum machine
-29:00 - hotel gigs- six nights a week- 1976- stayed six weeks at a time in one place
-30:00 - 1976 gospel and choirs; popular and very busy- multiple churches and choir- correspondence courses to read
-31:15 - Lynn August Trio with female singer
-32:00 - JD Miller wanted more of a swamp pop sound- 1963 "Little Red Rooster" and "Let Them Talk" at La Louisiane, then at JD Miller's- session musician at Miller's
-35:00 - 1974 recorded record at Floyd Solieau's- "Sick and Tired" and "If You Love Me"- done with JD Miller
-36:30 - late 1977 rub board played with Marcel Dugas playing zydeco- could keep job at church- until 1979
-38:00 - 1979 back to work in lounges and more involved at church- until 1981-82 oil industry crashed
-39:00 - making a deal with the wife- help her through school and then he could do what he wanted
-40:00 - 1987-1989 six nights a week in small clubs / supper clubs
-41:45 - built studio in 1988 20 digital 4 analog tracks DAT tape
-43:30 - signed with Blacktop Records playing zydeco
-44:30 - 1988 "Party Time" on Maison de Soul Helping Morris Francis with a recording
-46:30 - singles

Peter Thompson:

-00:00 - Background information
-00:30 - Born 4/24/1947, in Oxford, England- currently 46 years old
-01:00 - Musical influences from older brother's records (three years older)- Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, London/Decca labels
-02:15 - Guitar playing skiffle (guitar, washboard, tea chest string bass)
-03:00 - The Outcasts- had a hard time finding practice space: cheap acoustic, then Burns electric guitar
-04:00 - Played for school functions, then US Air Force bases Upper Heyford and Glouster. Introduction to the US on bases
-05:22 - playing bass in early sixties, covers, talent contest, etc.
-06:00 - Four piece rock band covering Chuck Berry, etc.
-07:00 - School functions and clubs
-07:30 - Manager had driving school and the band used his cars to move equipment- still as The Outcasts
-09:00 - Opened for The Big Three, Eric Delany Band, TV talent contest on "Ready, Steady, Go!" TV show, Screaming Lord Sutch
-10:30 - Band broke up, discovered blues around 1965
-11:30 - More interested in blues than Beatles pop
-12:00 - Marble Arch and Sue record labels for blues
-13:30 - Bought tape recorder and started recording and working on songs- fascinated with taping
-14:30 - Marriage at 20 or 21 in 1968/1969- met wife at a gig
-15:00 - Brother working in New Jersey, so they came over to see the US, stay with brother and see what happens
-17:00 - Visited Canada to stay legal- might stay a year- lived in Toronto a while
-18:37 - Acme Blues Band in Toronto- friend Brian Wickham (vocals and harmonica) who played lots of records for him
-20:15 - Ed's had deep record collection
-20:45 - Working in retail
-22:00 - Played smaller clubs in Toronto; Hawk's Nest, Le Coq d'Or
-24:00 - Mike Levine from Triumph, The Band rehearsed across from the shop in a club- got to know them
-26:00 - Moved back to England (1979) for a break, then started to set up a studio
-27:30 - Interested in Reggae, so went to the West Indies: Antigua, Jamaica, Trinidad-
-29:00 - Wife, Diana, cut hair to pay rent while he hung out with other musicians
-30:00 - Island transportation- airfare then
-31:00 - Grenada to England
-31:30 - Culture shock after time in Canada
-32:00 - Jamaican artist Jason Barnes was first to record- in Mad Professor's studio in Brixton- dub
-33:45 - Set up own studio in Redding 1984- basement of house is studio- 16 tracks
-35:30 - Recorded project with members of Status Quo, singer songwriters and local band demos
-38:00 - now working remixing
-40:30 - 1988 Jazz Festival New Orleans visit- someone told him about Floyd's Record store in Ville Platte bought Charles Mann- "Walk of Life"
-44:00 - Wrote to Lee Lavergne at Lanor Records about licensing and make an album of Charles Mann

Lee Lavergne:

-00:55 - Background information, Born Dec 10, 1932
-01:40 - Early exposure to Cajun Music - Amedé Ardoin, Joe Falcon, Aldus Roger, Nathan Abshire
-02:50 - Eddie Shuler - Iry LeJeune recordings. He also made one recording in Houston
-03:35 - Radio programs - Nathan Abshire was on the radio every Thursday afternoon
-04:10 - Lee always had an interest in music, but never played much
-04:35 - Sold seeds to buy his first guitar
-05:30 - Talks to another person (unknown) in the room. He played with Lawrence Walker
-06:30 - Johnnie Allan leaving Lawrence Walker's band and taking several members
-07:15 - Lee says he really liked Nathan Abshire and Hank Williams
-08:30 - Lee leaving for the service - changes in the music while he was gone
-09:00 - Good Rockin' Bob - Camille Bob, Cookie and the Cupcakes
-10:00 - Racial issues at live music shows back in the 50s and 60s
-10:55 - Lanor Records started in 1960. Lee talks about recording music, first reel to reel tape machine
-12:10 - Used Floyd Soileau's, J.D. Miller's, Cosimo Matassa's, Huey Meaux's studios
-13:00 - Lee says it was tough to get good session musicians
-13:40 - First releases - Shirly and Alphée Bergeron, Elton Anderson
-15:30 - Goldband's release of Sugar Bee - others trying to release French Rock 'n Roll records
-16:30 - Talking about various musicians - Duke Stevens, Elton Anderson
-19:30 - King Karl / Guitar Gable songs - "This Should Go On Forever," "Irene"
-21:00 - Lee started his own studio in 1982
-21:25 - Charles "Drifting Charles" Tyler, Lloyd Renault, Classie Ballou; Elton Anderson
-24:25 - Phil Phillips
-26:15 - Classic Ballou release circa 1980
-27:10 - Robbie Robinson
-28:45 - Maw-Maw Theriot - In Angola
-29:25 - Charles Mann - Talking about first recordings and musical style
-35:15 - Jim Olivier

Guitar Gable:

-00:05 - Working with Camille Bob "Lil Bob"
-00:40 - Back in the business - First show at Festival International in 1995 with C.C. Adcock, Rod Bernard, King Karl
-02:00 - Gigs - Swampwaters in Lafayette, Tiffany's in Opelousas, Washington Campground, Paul's Playhouse in Sunset
-03:30 - Situation with an impostor in Lafayette
-04:40 - Background information - Father played accordion and harmonica, speaks French
-06:10 - Learning to play guitar - Talks about his first Gene Autry guitar
-07:00 - Family members who play music
-08:10 - House parties
-09:20 - First professional gigs - Had to have a guardian to play at clubs when he was young
-12:00 - Joining with Bernard Jolivette "King Karl"
-14:50 - Guitar Gable and the Swingmasters
-15:45 - Forming his own band - Guitar Gable and The Musical Kings featuring King Karl
-17:25 - Clarence "Jockey" Etienne - Making the "Congo Mambo" beat
-18:15 - Recording for Eddie Shuler and J.D. Miller
-21:00 - Producers getting songwriting credits for songs other people wrote
-22:45 - Clarence "Jockey" Etienne
-24:00 - Vidrine Studio
-24:55 - Moonlight Inn, Evangeline Club, Southern Club, Youth Center in Eunice, Clover Club
-27:00 - Studio musician for J.D. Miller
-27:50 - Hits that he had
-28:40 - Contract with J. D. Miller; Sales for "This Should Go On Forever," continued discussions about issues with J.D. Miller
-33:45 - Playing with Lil Bob
-35:00 - Adjusting to changes in music when he came out of the army
-37:45 - Racism problems and playing white clubs
-39:45 - The Outcasts - Band with some school band directors - reading music
-41:30 - Stopped playing in the 1980s
-46:45 - Rod Bernard - "This Should Go On Forever"
-50:50 - Musicians in the family

Guitar Gable:

-00:00 - Background information - Born in Belleview
-00:45 - Musicians in the family - Father played accordion, several of his brothers played. Oliver and Charles played fiddle
-04:45 - Started to play professionally at 16
-11:15 - Recording for J.D. Miller - "Congo Mambo," "Irene"
-11:55 - King Karl
-12:30 - Royalities "Life Problem," "This Should Go On Forever"
-15:10 - Left J.D. Miller in 1960, Joined the army
-16:00 - British invasion
-16:40 - Playing with The Directors from 1971-1975 and Lil Bob and the Lollipops from 1976-1980; The Outcasts
-20:00 - Clubs he played with Lil Bob - Evangeline Club, Southern Club, Roof Garden, Signorelli's
-24:15 - Military service

Hammond Scott:

-00:00 - Background information - Born in Alexandria, May 1950
-01:40 - Talks about clubs that had good music scenes going - Shep's in Mansura, Pelican Club in Marksville, Purple Peacock
-02:45 - His siblings had alot of records at home when he was growing up. A friends' dad had a Jukebox company, so they would get used records
-03:45 - Always had blues records around while growing up
-05:40 - Buddy King - Broke Tommy McClain'
-06:15 - Parents didn't have any musical background
-07:20 - How he became involved with recording music
-09:00 - Older blues musicians reemerging, collecting old records
-11:25 - Booking and traveling with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
-18:00 - Recording; producing; mixing
-21:30 - Most important thing a producer can do is get the best performance from the band and have a good engineer in the control room
-24:00 - Band chemistry in the studio
-26:30 - Changes in how he mixes records
-28:45 - Working as a graphic designer
-30:00 - Work after Gatemouth with the D.A. and going back to law school. Starting Blacktop Records while in law school
-34:30 - Rounder Records became their distributor
-34:45 - Artists recorded for Blacktop - Johnny Reno, Buckwheat Zydeco, Ronnie Earl. Discovering other blues bands
-43:00 - Big Jesse Yawn

Willie Tee Turbinton:

-00:30 - background information - Feb 6, 1944 in New Orleans. His dad was a jazz saxophonist
-01:20 - Lived on Saratoga Street - Professor Longhair lived around the corner, also near the Blue Eagle Club
-03:00 - His brother, Earl, inspired him to start playing piano. Started at 3 years old
-03:45 - Harold Battiste was his 7th grade music teacher - Harold talked to Willie's mother about playing and recording with them
-04:45 - First record - "Always Accused" "All For One." Made it with Harold Battiste
-05:20 - Origin of the name "Willie Tee"
-06:50 - Solomon Spencer - Band Director who took him and Aaron and Art Neville to play at Lincoln Beach
-09:45 - First band they had as kids - Ervin Charles, Earl Turbinton, Henry Mitchell - The Seminoles
-12:00 - Playing gigs as kids
-13:00 - Influences - Eddie Bo, Tommy Ridgely, Gene Allison
-14:30 - Growing a following after his first record
-16:00 - Jazz influences - McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver
-17:00 - Writing songs
-18:15 - Mardi Gras Indian group that lived near Willie - their influences in his music
-18:45 - Nola Records - Wardell Quezergue
-20:20 - Recording at Cosimo's studio
-22:00 - Signing with Queen Booking out of New York
-22:20 - Apollo Theatre
-22:30 - Backup band with Gene Chandler, Patti LaBelle, Barbera Mason
-26:20 - Cannonball Adderley - Produced Willie and his band
-26:40 - Al Hirt's club on Bourbon Street, Ivanhoe Club
-30:30 - George Davis, David Lee, George French, Earl Turbinton
-32:40 - Released 4 singles for Capital
-35:30 - Gatur Records; Willie T. and the Gators
-39:20 - Barclay Records - Wild Magnolias Album - "Smoke My Peace Pipe"
-42:00 - Says they were the first to put music behind Mardi Gras chants
-46:35 - Clyde Fox

Roy Carrier:

-01:15 - background information - born in Church Point
-02:00 - learning to play the guitar when he was 16, influences
-03:20 - KVPI Radio out of Ville Platte
-04:00 - Starting to play professional gigs
-04:45 - switching to accordion, liked Rockin' Dopsie and Clifton Chenier
-08:00 - First recordings - with Lee Lavergne
-11:00 - Talking about Chubby Carrier
-12:50 - Oilfield work, drilling and roughnecking
-14:15 - Touring and playing festivals
-17:00 - Band mates - Raymond Randall, Chubby, Calvin Sam (Sam Brothers 5), David Edmond, Jimmy Sherell

Jockey Etienne:

-00:00 - background information - Born in Saint Martinville
-00:45 - Exposure to music at school
-01:25 - Explains his nickname
-03:00 - Early session with J.D. Miller
-04:00 - playing with Guitar Gable
-04:45 - Joe Simon, Leo's Rendez-vous
-06:10 - Touring with Solomon Burke
-07:30 - Working with Bobby Powell
-09:10 - Furnest and the Thunders - Furnest's injury
-10:40 - Playing with Shelton Skerrett, J.J. Callier, Bobby Price, Gene Morris
-13:15 - Forming of the Creole Zydeco Farmers
-13:45 - European tours - Germany, Holland, France, Luxembourg
-16:45 - Creole Zydeco Farmers members - Morris Francis; Chester Chevalier, Joe Richard, Murphy Richard
-22:40 - Going overseas with Furnest Arceneaux
-24:10 - Steve Nails - Dockside Studios
-25:20 - Jazz Fest
-27:10 - Sullivan Club in Memphis

Bobby Charles:

-02:00 - First record in 1955 - meeting with Phil Chess, thought Bobby would be black
-05:00 - How Bobby hooked up with Chess Records - Charles Rutledge, Dego's Record Shop
-06:00 - First band - Harry Simoneaux
-07:15 - Recording "See You Later, Alligator" with Paul Gayten in New Orleans
-10:40 - Left Chess in the late 50's, went to Imperial Records
-11:30 - Clarence "Frogman" Henry recording Bobby Charles songs
-14:00 - Owned only a third of many of the songs that became hits for Fats Domino and others
-14:55 - Structure of his songs - comes naturally, doesn't focus on making a song sound a certain way
-15:50 - Stan Lewis
-21:00 - Tennessee Blues
-22:00 - Didn't trust record execs that he was working with. Talks about being taken advantage of
-26:30 - Discussing the rumor that Bobby is a hermit
-29:45 - Discussing Clifton Chenier
-34:00 - Discussing Rockin' Dopsie and how he proclaimed himself "The King of Zydeco" after Clifton passed away
-35:35 - Chuck Berry - Said Bobby Charles was booed off of the stage at the Apollo, when that never happened. Bobby said he had him confused with somebody else

Benny Spellman:

-00:20 - Royalties - Has never received royalties from record sales
-02:30 - Made most of his money playing shows - Would play several shows per night
-05:30 - "Word Game" record sales
-12:00 - Working for Anheuser Busch
-15:00 - Talking about his kids
-19:30 - Didn't like being on the road away from his family
-25:30 - spiritual awakening; ministry; quitting Anheuser Busch
-39:00 - Spiritual side of music
-42:15 - Power of words

Clarence "Frogman" Henry:

-00:50 - Glory days of New Orleans Music, British Invasion
-01:30 - Bob Astor - Connections to the Beatles (touring with them in 1964)
-02:45 - Herb Holiday - DJ in New Orleans
-04:25 - dad's musical talent - played guitar, banjo, harmonica, piano
-04:55 - Sister took piano lessons, Clarence continued lessons when she quit
-08:10 - "Nothing Sweet as You"
-09:00 - Talking about early gigs
-11:30 - "Ain't Got No Home"
-13:20 - Leonard Chess, Bobby Charles
-14:50 - Poppa Stoppa Breaking "Ain't Got No Home"
-15:20 - Cosimo Matassa
-17:00 - Touring - clubs in other states, used house bands
-19:20 - breaking Fats record - Apollo Theatre
-22:00 - recording with Allan Toussaint
-22:30 - Joe Barry - "I'm a Fool To Care"
-23:30 - Recording a Bobby Charles tune
-27:00 - Dick Clark tour; Party with The Rolling Stones
-27:30 - Nationwide tour with the Beatles - 18 cities
-30:15 - Parrot Records
-33:30 - Playing on Bourbon Street 3 or 4 sets/night from 1959-1980
-39:50 - Huey Meaux; Bear Family
-42:00 - World Tours - England, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand
-43:30 - Not currently under contract with any labels, supports himself with music
-44:00 - gigging, talking about his current band mates

Senator Nolan Jones:

-00:00 - Finding talent - Cadillac George Harris, Pat Brown
-00:35 - Talking about George Jackson's songwriting and recording him
-04:10 - George Jackson writing for Atlantic, Warner Brothers, Maleco
-04:45 - Hep Me label- New numbering system
-06:00 - National distribution
-07:50 - new artist potential - Eddie Raspberry
-10:15 - Releasing old recordings

Donnie Jennings:

-00:20 - Background information - Born and raised in Opelousas
-00:35 - musical influences - His brother, Terry Jennings. Started learning to play drums at age 5
-01:30 - Parents and other siblings also played music - would all play songs together
-02:20 - Instruments played in school - trombone and drums
-03:00 - First band with other kids, age 8, making money playing gigs
-04:30 - Early band names - The Young Revolution, Toast to Freedom
-05:30 - Going door to door and playing songs for neighbors
-08:00 - Starting to play guitar
-09:50 - Playing 6 nights per week, quitting high school
-10:40 - Making a living playing music
-11:50 - Hacienda Lounge - Carencro
-13:00 - Going to Nashville - recording his first 45 for Indigo Records. Hargus "Pig" Robin
-15:00 - Bad record deals
-17:00 - Playing keyboards with a Christian rock band "Wisdom" on tour
-18:50 - Playing bass with Terrence Simeon - Blue Bayou Movie
-21:20 - Left Terrence's band, wanted to play more guitar
-22:00 - Forming a new band - Donnie Jennings and Louisiana's Blues at Eleven
-23:00 - Touring with Chubby Carrier
-24:50 - Sherman Robinson, Joe Murphy

Johnny Vincent:

-00:00 - Johnny says he's optimistic for the future
-01:20 - Says he's done it all - Had a distributing company, Pressing plants, recording studios, etc. Had #1 Blues, Country, Pop records
-04:00 - Talking about overseas distribution - Zane Records - Peter Thomson